The most reliable way to get more Google reviews is to ask every customer, soon after a good experience, with a direct link or QR code. Google allows that, and forbids incentives, fake reviews and asking only happy customers. Timing matters too: in BrightLocal's 2026 consumer survey, nearly three-quarters of consumers said they only care about reviews written in the last three months.
Why do Google reviews matter for a Jersey business?
Reviews affect both whether you are found and whether you are chosen. Google's own help page on local ranking says prominence is partly based on “how many reviews you have”, and that “more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking.” Once you are found, the rating does the persuading. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 68% of consumers said they won't use a business rated below four stars, and 31% only use businesses rated 4.5 stars or higher.
On an island of 104,540 people (Statistics Jersey's estimate for the end of 2024), many of your customers will know someone who has used you. Reviews put that word of mouth where a stranger can read it, next to your phone number and opening hours.
What does Google allow, and what does it forbid?
Google's rules for businesses are short and strict. Asking is fine; influencing what people write, or who writes, is not.
| Practice | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Asking customers to leave a review with a Google link or QR code | Yes |
| Replying publicly to reviews, good and bad | Yes, and Google encourages it |
| Flagging a review you believe breaks Google's content policies | Yes |
| Offering payment, discounts, free goods or services for a review, or to change or remove one | No |
| Asking only customers you expect to be happy, or discouraging negative reviews | No |
| Reviews from current or former staff, or anyone with a conflict of interest | No |
| Pressuring customers to review while on your premises, or setting staff review quotas | No |
The second “no” catches a lot of businesses out. Google's policy says merchants may not “discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers.” A feedback form that sends happy customers to Google and unhappy ones to a private inbox (often called review gating) does exactly that. Ask everyone the same way, and deal with criticism in the open.
How do you ask every customer without it feeling awkward?
Make the request part of how you finish a job, so nobody has to remember to do it and nobody is picked out. A simple process:
- Get your review link and QR code. Google's help page links to instructions for creating them from your Business Profile. Customers need a Google Account to post, and Google notes they can create one with a non-Gmail address.
- Ask at the natural moment. When the work is signed off, the order arrives or the customer says thank you.
- Ask everyone, in the same words. One short line in your follow-up email, receipt or text, with the link.
- Send one reminder, then stop. A single nudge a few days later is fair. More than that starts to feel like pressure.
- Count them each month. A steady trickle tells you the process is working; a gap tells you it has slipped.
| Type of business | When to ask | How |
|---|---|---|
| Trades and home services | When the job is signed off | A text with the link, sent the same day |
| Professional services | After a milestone the client values | A line in the follow-up email |
| Cafés, restaurants and shops | After the visit | A QR code on the receipt or a card, with no pressure to do it there and then |
| Online orders | A few days after delivery | The order follow-up email |
How should you reply to reviews?
Reply to every review if you can. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 80% of consumers said they are more likely to use a business that responds to every review, and 81% expect a response within a week. Google's own advice for replies is practical:
- Keep replies professional, polite and short.
- Don't repeat the same generic thank-you; add something useful where you can.
- Keep it conversational, not promotional. Replies are not the place for offers.
- With a negative review, never share the reviewer's private details or make it personal. Acknowledge mistakes, apologise where it is appropriate, and for anything complex, ask them to contact you by phone or email.
- Reply promptly.
Remember who reads the reply: not just the reviewer, but every future customer weighing you up. A calm, specific answer to a poor review often does more for your reputation than another five stars.
Why does review recency matter?
A profile with 40 reviews, the newest from two years ago, tells a reader less than one with 15 from the last few months. BrightLocal's finding that nearly three-quarters of consumers only care about reviews from the last three months is the clearest reason to keep asking all year rather than running one big push. A steady flow also avoids the kind of “unusual volumes or patterns of review contributions” that Google's policy treats as a sign of manipulation.
Questions people ask
Can I offer a discount or a prize draw for reviews? No. Google prohibits incentives of any kind for posting, changing or removing a review.
Can my staff, friends or family leave reviews? Not for your business. Google treats current or former employment and other close relationships as a conflict of interest.
Can I remove a bad review? Google's help page says that if you believe a review breaks its content policies, you can flag it. Otherwise, reply professionally and let your other reviews do the work.
How many reviews do I need? Google's guidance gives no target number. Aim for a steady flow of recent, genuine reviews, and compare yourself with the businesses you compete with locally.
Does social media help? Indirectly. People who find you on Instagram or Facebook often check your Google rating next, so the two should tell the same story. Our social media management includes community management for exactly that reason, and our social media cost guide sets out what that work typically costs. Reviews also do their job best when your website backs them up: see what a Jersey website needs to win enquiries.
Sources
All checked 6 November 2026: Google Business Profile Help, Tips to get more reviews; Google Maps user-generated content policy, Prohibited and restricted content; Google Business Profile Help, Improve your local ranking on Google; BrightLocal, findings from its Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (published 11 February 2026), a survey of 1,002 US adults in February 2026 according to PinMeTo's summary. Survey figures are from US consumers and may differ in Jersey.
Want help turning reviews, social media and your website into more enquiries? Read how to choose a marketing agency in Jersey, or tell us where you want to go and we'll reply within one working day.
Related: Social media management · See the results behind our numbers · Terms explained in the glossary